It started with an innocent question, "Been to Russell Market?". "What's that? Where's that?". So I dragged him there pronto.
After getting dropped off near St Mary's cathedral, we entered the Russell Market through it's fragrant entrance. Whoever thought of crowding in the flower shops at the entrance thought right. It's quite a welcome to the more smellier insides. For me, this nearly 100-year old market is a symbol of self-reliance and defiance. The vendors of the market are made of stern stuff - after their shops and goods burned down in 2012 (supposedly a short-circuit fire, a reason no one buys) they pooled in all they had and resurrected the market. They saw no point waiting for a dithering BBMP, which wanted to raze it to the ground instead of preserving it and cherishing it. (I recall the much-hyped, much renovated, 'heritage' markets I went to in Kuala Lumpur.) Russell Market is in such good shape today, you can hardly tell that it was a pile of ash a few years ago.Go there to buy. The vendors don't really entertain time-wasters.
We wanted to explore the area behind Russell Market, so we walked on. Just the usual pete stuff. Lots of everyday shops, then the specialized areas begin. There are shops which stack 15-feet tall columns of the aluminium biryani-making pots that are the hallmark of the ubiquitous Ambur dum biryani stalls.
A few minutes of wandering around the lanes looking around, and suddenly I realized that I was the only woman around in jeans, and worse, the only one not wearing a full black burqa. There was the occasional jasmine-wearing, sari-clad Tamil lady, but no one in jeans. We walked on, crossing some shops selling bright burqas and headscarves.It just didn't feel like my idea of Bangalore, at all. Yes, ok, I am saying it, I am not a fan of that full-body-covered-to-prevent-lustful eyes concept at all.
A few feet down, we came upon what seemed like a gathering of angry men, with some one addressing them quite loudly. Shutters suddenly downed all around, and we decided we had better turn around to more familiar territory. In this time and day..one never knows.
On one side of the road, a big mosque. On the other, a really huge status of the Hindu goddess Mariamman. And of course, life, and horns bustling around. Tall lights in the circle, with five little lanes radiating from it. Mopeds and autos will run you over if you are not careful. Shops selling everything from simple beef fry, to every imaginable body part of the cow/buffalo prepared in it's own unique way. We got beef biryani from one of the respectable looking shops. And after a few auto wars, made our way back to M G Road metro station. And I will admit, it was nice to see mini skirts and jeans again.
A few feet down, we came upon what seemed like a gathering of angry men, with some one addressing them quite loudly. Shutters suddenly downed all around, and we decided we had better turn around to more familiar territory. In this time and day..one never knows.
On one side of the road, a big mosque. On the other, a really huge status of the Hindu goddess Mariamman. And of course, life, and horns bustling around. Tall lights in the circle, with five little lanes radiating from it. Mopeds and autos will run you over if you are not careful. Shops selling everything from simple beef fry, to every imaginable body part of the cow/buffalo prepared in it's own unique way. We got beef biryani from one of the respectable looking shops. And after a few auto wars, made our way back to M G Road metro station. And I will admit, it was nice to see mini skirts and jeans again.